The Beginning of a Novel Idea!

Hello, all (meaning just one or two people if I'm lucky), I have finally decided to start a blog after much non-anticipation. I've been saying for quite some time—probably five years—that I would blog it up. But, now I am finally taking the plunge and actually doing it. And I actually have a theme (sort of) to it. Everyone, hold your figurative applause... indefinitely.

November is quickly approaching and if you didn't know already, November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo, for those of you not with the times). The goal of each NaNoWriMo is to write a novel that must consist of  at least 50,000 words. For the past two years, I have attempted to write a novel each November with varying success. Check out my past novels. I will quickly recap what happened each year.

November 2011: I started writing a fantasy novel I passionately called "The Rip." I was eager-eyed and fresh-faced. I had just moved to Los Angeles permanently a few months ago. My roommates were willingly participating too. We all sat down on November 1st to write together. It was all just so exciting.
End Result: I wrote one really weird, abstract paragraph. And that was it. FAIL.

*My roommates failed too. So I wasn't alone in failure. There is comfort in failing together, right?

November 2012: This year I wasn't messing around. I made it known I was doing NaNoWriMo again despite last year's failure. I even convinced my coworker to participate too. I decide to expand on my novel (actually, my paragraph) from 2011. While sitting in a Little Caesar's in a K-mart (pure class), inspiration came to me. I had a revelation as to why I had failed the year before—the idea was too big, yet too small. Once I opened it up to the possibility of a book series(!), everything fell into place. So, I created a vast fantastic world full of rich, interesting characters. What could go wrong?

End Result: Well, I did it. I wrote 50,000 words by November 30th. Woo-hoo! The only problem was that my novel was nowhere near completion. I was still in the beginning stages of what I had initially planned and outlined back in October. So, I still didn't have a completed novel. Fail? I'm not sure.

November 2013: Here it comes again! NaNoWriMo 2013! I have been working and further developing my novel and series from 2012. I am extremely confident that I can write another 50,000 words and hopefully finally finish my first novel out of a planned 9-book series (How crazy am I?)

Only 10 days between me and November 1st. I can keep up this positive attitude, right? 

Well, to further my cause, while doing NaNoWriMo this year, I have decided to give up all forms of alcohol for the month of November! You may not think that is a big deal, but if you know me—Ben José Fleck—at all, then you know that's kind of a big deal. I'm not an alcoholic (classic alcoholic denial), but alcohol has often led to bad things for me. So, in order to really focus and do this right, no more alcohol for me! And that includes those delicious Straw-beritas! 

**Side note: The pandora station I was listening to just changed the song and it went from soothing electro-pop to thrashing angry metal. What the hell? Does Pandora ever do this to you? Not cool, Pandora! 

Anyways, follow me on this weird, strange, scary journey to finish my novel while being completely sober! It is sure to be tough and let's all hope I don't have a meltdown! Any advice and encouragement and questions are welcome. And yes, it's probably counterproductive to write a blog about writing a novel, but hey, that's me! 

10 days to go til this starts... Can I do it?

End Result:  to be seen...

-benjosé